How to archive or restore Paper docs and folders
This article is for Dropbox customers using an older release of Dropbox Paper. Archiving isn't available for those on the 2020 release of Dropbox Paper.
To find out if you’re using the older release of Dropbox Paper:
- Log in to dropbox.com.
- Click Create.
- Hover over Document
If you don’t see Dropbox Paper in the list of document types, then you’re using the older release.
If you do see Dropbox Paper in the list of document types, then you’re using the 2020 release of Dropbox Paper.
This article explains how to archive, restore, and permanently delete Dropbox Paper docs and folders. If you’d like to recover other Dropbox files instead, learn how to restore deleted files and folders.
Only creators and users with editing permission can archive Paper docs. When a Paper doc is archived, it becomes read-only for everyone it was shared with.
How to archive a Paper doc
To archive a Dropbox Paper doc:
- Open the doc you want to archive.
- Click "…" (ellipsis).
- Click Archive.
How to archive a Paper folder
To archive a Dropbox Paper folder:
- Hover over the folder you want to archive.
- Click the checkbox.
- Click Archive.
How to find and restore an archived Paper doc
To find and restore a Dropbox Paper doc:
- Log in to dropbox.com.
- Click the grid icon in the top-left corner.
- Click Paper from the menu that appears.
- Click the Docs tab.
- Click the sorting/filtering dropdown in the upper-right of your list of docs. By default, it’s set to Viewed recently.
- Click Archived. You’ll see a list of your archived docs.
- Click a doc to open it.
- Click the “…” (ellipses) in the upper-right corner.
- Click Restore.
How to find and restore an archived Paper folder
To find and restore a Dropbox Paper folder:
- Log in to dropbox.com.
- Click the grid icon in the top-left corner.
- Click Paper from the menu that appears.
- Click the Folders tab.
- Click the sorting/filtering dropdown in the upper-right of your list of docs. By default, it’s set to Alphabetical.
- Click Archived.
- Click the folder.
- Click Restore.
How to permanently delete a Paper folder
To permanently delete a Dropbox Paper folder:
- Archive the folder.
- Click Folders.
- Click Archived.
- Click the folder.
- Click Permanently delete.
- Click Permanently delete again.
Note: Dropbox Paper docs archived before June 1, 2017 will be moved to the Deleted tab in Paper (instead of remaining in Archived).
Previously, Paper didn't offer an easy way to delete docs so many users would use Archive to remove docs from their list of docs when they actually meant to delete them. Now that Paper has an option to delete, we'll be moving all archived docs to the Deleted list.
If a doc you'd like to keep ends up in the Deleted list, you can easily move these docs back to the Archive list.